Tiny ‘tickler’ prevents urgent need for the loo

A ‘TICKLER’ implanted above the ankle is being used to treat an overactive bladder, a common condition that causes an urgent need for the loo.

The tiny device sends electrical signals up the tibial nerve in the leg to regulate bladder muscles.

When a healthy bladder is half full, nerve signals alert the brain and, by the time it’s three- quarters full, we feel the need to urinate.

But if the nerves malfunction — as with stroke or simply ageing — it can create an overactive bladder.

A pilot study of the 2.6mm BlueWind Renova device on 36 patients, by Radboud University in the Netherlands, found 70 per cent had improved symptoms. A larger trial is now underway.